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Ct numbers, what do they mean ?
Aortic Aneurysms | Last Active: Jul 14 4:26pm | Replies (20)Comment receiving replies
telling patients with aneurysms above 4.0 to just watch what you lift is like telling them to play russian roulette with their lives. very dangerous!!!! surgery has improved so much/so fast. enough with the protocol of waiting until 5.0 cm (if your doctor follows) or 5.5 cm which many still wait for. they CERTAINLY know that your situation is very dangerous but refuse to do anything about it. how do we assist in getting them to change this very arbitrary protocol?????
Replies to "telling patients with aneurysms above 4.0 to just watch what you lift is like telling them..."
@lewee It is person/physiology dependent. The good cardiologists conduct a thorough work up. If you don’t have genetic predisposition and no familial history, it’s stable based on serial imaging, and BP is controlled, a person can function for years at or below 5cm. It is a major surgery with risks, therefore the experts have developed guidelines to balance the risks. I was a huge weightlifter. I run and bike. My doc is confident that I can lift 135lb no problem as long as my exertion does not result in holding my breath. There are several forums that provide interviews with experts and share their experiences. I don’t want the surgery any sooner than necessary. There are many people below 5 that have been stable 20 years or more. For those less than 5 with family/genetic issues do tend to get surgery at less than 5, sometimes at 4.3 or 4.5.
@lewee Just to add to the comments by others, a key reason surgery is not done on those with under 5 cm dilation, is that is is a very complex and high risk operation. Various sources note 5% fatality rate during surgery. It is also 4-5 hours long where the patient is a heart lung machine (so heart is stopped and has to be restarted). On the other hand life style changes, like avoiding strain, heavy lifting, stepping low blood pressure etc. can keep things stable for years to the point where surgery might never be needed. That has being my case where it has being stable for 3 1/2 years around 4.2.
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@lewee Living a sedentary life in fear of what may never happen is very dangerous, too. I said in my initial post that my husband is being monitored by a cardiologist with annual scans. We have world class medicine, research hospitals and doctors in our area and we trust the advice given. If we didn't, we would seek out a second opinion from another cardiac specialist.
Given the current size of my husband's ascending aorta, his otherwise excellent health, risk averse lifestyle choices and no family history or prior history of aneurysms he IS NOT a candidate for surgery, he may never be. What he is focused on is living for today, managing what he is in control of, not stressing about tomorrow and following his cardiac specialists advice.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." ~ Benjamin Franklin